ACROBAT DISTILLER

Acrobat Distiller Command 3.01 for Solaris is installed in skew3, which allows users to convert PostScript documents to PDF format. This page lists the command's syntax as well as all the options it supports.

Note: If the fonts in a document are not being displayed correctly in other systems, check the font embedding options.

distill [options] [params] [-files] ps_file ... [pdf_dir]
distill [options] [params] -pairs [-files] ps_file_1 pdf_file_1 ...
distill [options] [params]
Distill from PostScript to PDF (Portable Document Format).
HELP:
The following are help key options (distill -help ):
all
filespecs
options
<< distillation parameters >>
general
compression
fonts
advanced
defaults
NOTES:
All messages other than -help are printed to stderr. (Redirect with
"|&" or ">&" if using csh, or "2>&1 |" or "2>&1 >" if using sh.)
Current status is reported upon an URG signal - useful during long,
quiet distillations. (From a separate shell run "kill -URG "
after obtaining for the distill process using "ps".)
FILE SPECIFICATIONS:
In the first form above, the file list contains PS filenames
optionally followed by a directory name. For each PS filename a
corresponding PDF filename is derived by removing any ".ps",
".eps" or ".prn" extension and appending a ".pdf" extension.
Any capitalization of the extension is recognized, and an upper
case ".PS", ".EPS", or ".PRN" will result in an upper case
".PDF". If the optional directory is specified, the PDF file is
placed in that directory; otherwise it is placed in the same
directory as the PS file.
In the second form above, the file list contains pairs, each consisting
of a PS filename and a corresponding PDF filename.
In the third form above, where no files are specified, the command acts
as a filter from stdin to stdout.
If there are messages resulting from interpreting the PostScript, they
are written to a log file whose name is derived from the PDF
filename by removing any ".pdf" extension and appending a
".log" extension, or, if the command is acting as a filter,
-pairs
The file list contains pairs, each consisting of a PS filename and
a corresponding PDF filename.
-files
Begin the file list. Needed only to separate the file list from a
font list given with -embed or -embedallbut, or when the first
filename begins with a "-".
OPTIONS:
-v Distill verbosely. Includes -stats, -params, and more!
-stats
Show timing and size information for each distillation. This is
the default when distilling files.
-quiet
Distill quietly. This is the default when distilling as a filter.
-params
Show the distillation parameters determined from: the startup
files, existing user preferences (unless -noprefs), and command
line specifications.
-saveprefs
Save as user preferences the distillation parameters determined
from: the startup files, existing user preferences (unless
-noprefs), and command line specifications.
-noprefs
Suppress reading of user preferences for distillation parameters.
Otherwise, any existing preferences override values set by the
startup files and are overridden by any values specified on the
command line.
GENERAL DISTILLATION PARAMETERS:
-compatlevel
Sets PDF compatibility level for viewing purposes.
Supported values are 2.1 and 3.0.
-asciipdf on, off
Produce PDF in 7-bit ASCII format as opposed to binary.
-pagesize pts, picas, in, cm
Specifies the default width and height of the produced page
in specified page units. Valid size is 1.0 to 45.0 in.
-resolution
Specifies the default resolution of Distiller.
Valid range is 72 to 2400 dpi. Default is 600.
COMPRESSION PARAMETERS:
-compresstext on, off
Compress text and graphics.
-colordownsample on, off
-graydownsample on, off
-monodownsample on, off
Downsample color, grayscale, and monochrome images.
-colordownsampletype average, subsample
-graydownsampletype average, subsample
-monodownsampletype average, subsample
Selects a downsampling method as either one of subsampling
(picking only every nth pixel) or by averaging pixels when
the image is downsampled to a given resolution.
-colorres
-grayres
-monores
Downsample color, grayscale, and monochrome images to no less
than the specified resolution in pixels per inch.
Supported range of downsampling resolutions is 9 to 2400 dpi.
-colordepth
-graydepth
-monodepth
Downsample color, grayscale, and monochrome images to no less
than the specified depth in bits per component.
Supported downsampling depths are 1, 2, 4, and 8 bits.
(-1 = don't downsample)
-encodecolor on, off
-encodegray on, off
-encodemono on, off
Compress color, grayscale, and monochrome images.
-colorcompr zip, lzw, jpeg:q
-graycompr zip, lzw, jpeg:q
-monocompr zip, lzw, fax3, fax4, run
where q > 0.0 or
q = low, medium-low, medium, medium-high, or high
Compress color, grayscale, and monochrome images using the
specified technique. The techniques available for color and
grayscale images are JPEG, zip and LZW. For JPEG, the Q factor
is a floating point number specifying the amount of compression
(0.10 is low, 0.25 is medium-low, 0.50 is medium, 0.90 is
medium-high, 1.30 is high, 4.0 is about maximum useful).
The techniques available for monochrome images are CCITT Fax
Group 3, CCITT Fax Group 4, zip, LZW, and Run Length Encoding.
Note that zip may be used for lossless compression when the
switch -compatlevel is 3.0; likewise LZW is used when
-compatlevel is 2.1.
-coloracs on, off
-grayacs on, off
The automatic compression selection switch will select lossless
compression (zip or LZW) or lossy compression (JPEG) if
depending on whether the image is deemed to be a screen-shot
as opposed to a contone image.
-coloracsq q
-grayacsq q
where q > 0.0 or
q = low, medium-low, medium, medium-high, or high
If the automatic compression selection switch selects lossy
compression (JPEG), use this Q factor (see -colorcompr above).
FONT EMBEDDING PARAMETERS:
-subsetfonts on, off
Subset embedded fonts to include only characters used in the
document. If a "significant" number (default: > 10%) of the
characters are used then the entire font is embedded regardless.
-maxsubsetpct <pct>
Set the default percentage for subsetting characters in a font.
-alwaysembed <font> ...
Always embed the fonts in the list. By default, only fonts which
have non-standard encodings are embedded.
-neverembed <font> ...
Always embed the fonts in the list. By default, only fonts which
have standard encodings are not embedded (including the Base 13).
-embedallfonts on, off
Embed fonts used in the document unless specifically mentioned
in the never embed list.
ADVANCED DISTILLATION PARAMETERS:
-includebookends on, off
Apply the defined prologue and epilogue documents around each
specified file. The pro- and epi-logue are specified using
PS resources (such as those found in the distill.upr file in the
custom directory).
-preserveopi on, off
Save all OPI comments inside the produced file.
-preserveoverprint on, off
preserves overprinting settings.
-preservehalftone on, off
Specifies inclusion of halftone information in the produced file.
-transferfunction remove, preserve, apply
Will apply transfer functions directly or preserve in the PDF.
Apply is defined automatically if -compatlevel is 2.1.
-cmykimagestorgb on, off
Will convert CMYK images to RGB images to help save space in
the produced file.
-UCRandBG remove, preserve
Will perform undercolor removal and black generation during any
necessary color conversion or preserve information in the PDF.
Remove is defined automatically if -compatlevel is 2.1.
-colorconversion unchanged, dependent, independent
Specify all colorspace to be either (1) left unchanged,
(2) converted to device-dependent colors, or (3) converted to
device-independent colors.
RETRIEVING DISTILLATION PARAMETER DEFAULTS ...
-compatlevel 2.1
-asciipdf off
-pagesize 612 792 pts
-resolution 600 dpi
-compresstext on
-colordownsample on -colordownsampletype average
-colorres 72 -colordepth -1
-encodecolor on -colorcompr jpeg:medium
-coloracs on -coloracsq medium
-graydownsample on -graydownsampletype average
-grayres 72 -graydepth -1
-encodegray on -graycompr jpeg:medium
-grayacs on -grayacsq medium
-monodownsample on -monodownsampletype average
-monores 300 -monodepth -1
-encodemono on -monocompr fax4
-subsetfonts on -maxsubsetpct 35 -embedallfonts off
-alwaysembed
-neverembed
-includebookends off -preserveopi off
-cmykimagestorgb on -colorconversion unchanged
-transferfunction apply -UCRandBG remove
-preserveoverprint off -preservehalftone off